Monday, 10 December 2012

C&D waste recycling: Are we measuring the right thing?

2013 is the
first year that the UK will be required to report figures for the recycling of
construction, demolition and excavation waste under the Waste Framework
Directive initiative to achieve 70% recycling by 2020.

While there
is no doubt that some form of measurement is needed to allow us to monitor
progress I have serious doubts about whether simply looking at a 70% recycling
rate allows to achieve anything meaningful. What does recovery actually mean?
If we look at the figures at the minute they seem to be very impressive – 20%
of aggregates used in the UK come from recycled sources. That represents
somewhere close to 45 million tonnes at the minute which represents half of all
the CD&E waste produced according to Government estimates.

For my money
we should be looking at raising the bar in the approach we take to dealing with
CD&E waste. The vast majority of the material being produced at the minute
is being used on very low value applications using the most basic processing
possible. Surely we should now be looking at how we can move recycled material
up the value chain?

Yes, there
has been good success up to now with the numerous initiatives to increase the
focus on the valuable resource that CD&E waste can provide. Yes, we should
celebrate the commitment from the UK industry that has seen us lead the way in
the adoption of new technology.

We should
not however just keep measuring the same thing – we’ve moved on from simply
trying to increase the amount of recycling of this material. The opportunity
exists for us to turn this waste material into a real sustainable, high value
alternative to virgin sand and aggregates rather than a cheap, low quality
alternative.

How can we
do this? Well maybe we can learn something from our European neighbours. After
achieving more than 90% recycling of C&D waste some years ago in Belgium
the target switched to improving the quality of recycled materials. This to me
makes much more sense that simply aiming at a number that is fairly easy to
achieve providing your description of what constitutes ‘recycling’ is wide
enough.

If we’re
simply doing this to tick another Brussels box then by all means keep measuring
the volume of waste recycled. If, on the other hand, we’re serious about movingCD&E waste up the value chain and making the most of it as a valuable
resource then it’s time for the focus to change. This happens by measuring
something that encourages everyone in the CD&E waste recycling sector to up
their game – from equipment manufacturers to material producers, architects,
specifiers and building contractors.

Does the
technology exist to do this? Yes it does. Will it help protect long term
aggregate supply from a sustainable source? Yes it will. In the words of a famous American sportswear
manufacturer – Just Do It.